


As You Grow

by chainsaw_cowboy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: 5 Times, Coming Out, Crushes, F/M, Gen, Growing Up, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21991696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsaw_cowboy/pseuds/chainsaw_cowboy
Summary: 5 times Hop denied he had a crush , and 1 time he didn't have to.Leon is dense, but he really gets to say that he called it this time.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Hop/Yuuri | Gloria, Rurina | Nessa/Sonia
Comments: 28
Kudos: 374





	1. Family Dinner

Hop had a strange way of growing up; that's what Leon had always told Sonia. His mother had expected Hop to have an older brother to help him go through all of the trials and tribulations of going from boy to slightly older boy.

The first sign of oddity was during one of Leon's few visits, when he talked about a girl.

A garishly dressed man walked into a small home. No, that's not the opening to a joke, but the best and only way to illustrate Leon's entrance. He didn't bother knocking, just walked right in, and was automatically greeted with a warm smile from Mum and a running hug from little Hop. He had just turned 9, and unlike most little boys, he did not have a favorite superhero; he just had his big brother. The house smelled like soup, with onions and chicken.

"Lee!" Hop cheered, vaulting over the back of the couch and into Leon's body like a Yamper with motive. Leon had to plant his feet too stay put. His head was buried in the waist area of his shirt, much to Leon's amazement. Since when was he so big?

"Hey little bro! How have you been holding down the fort?" Leon ruffled a hand through his hair. 

"I watched your match last night! It was so cool!" Hop looked up at Leon, still holding him in a vice grip. Leon shifted slightly, his gaze lingering towards his mother. 

"Yeah! Tough match, but you know the ultimate champ always comes out on top!" Leon was still caught in Hop's death hug. He had always been an affectionate little boy, it's just that Leon didn't expect him to still be.

"Yeah Lee, and you did so awfully late. You and that poor boy were fighting it out way past bedtime for your brother here," Mum stopped stirring the pot. "Took me an hour to calm that one down." She lazily gestured towards Hop, who let go of Leon. She went back to stirring the pot. 

The family spent the rest of the night congratulating Leon over his victories. It was a warm painting. Chicken stew was served, and a thick haze of merriment was lain upon the family. 

"So-" Grandpa started, mouth half full of potatoes. Leon turned his head to his grandfather, who had finished his potatoes. "Hop, made a little friend." 

Hop beamed, bits of bread on his face, and nodded vigorously. "Yeah! We play with the Wooloo!" 

Leon raised an eyebrow, he didn't notice any new kids in the area. "That's great, little dude, what's his name?" Leon asked, spearing a scalloped potato with his fork; accidentally tearing the thinly sliced starch. Hop frowned and shook his head.

"Her name, she's a girl, honey. Tell him about her Hop." Mum laughed, one hand covering her mouth as she flicked her fork towards Hop. The nine year old smiled again, his face changing like night and day. 

"Well, we play all day out in the field, and make sure to stay out of the tall grass, and we play hide and seek, and trade cards!" Hop spewed out at mach speed. Leon, unable to keep up, stopped him with the wave of his hand. 

"Slow down bro, what's her name?" Leon asked. He laughed as he did. Even if it was tiring, Hop's everlasting joy was entertaining, and dare he say heartwarming. 

"Gloria!" Hop shouted, his mum laughed and shook her head. 

"She's quite a little firecracker, do you want to tell big brother Lee what happened when she slept over last night?" Mum asked, gracefully holding a laugh behind her lips. 

Hop rolled his eyes. "Mum! She said she was sorry. She's just smart!" Hop vehemently defended his friend, his mouth filled with potatoes, broccoli and cheese from the potatoes au gratin the family was eating along with the chicken stew. 

"Gloria had the bright idea to hide in one of grandpa's golf bags, that girl is so small that she took some of the kids ones and stuck them ontop of her. It took us 2 hours to find her, and we only found her because she was giggling." Mum explained, Leon raised an eyebrow. He swallowed his last bite of potatoes. 

"What's so bad about that, they're just kids," Leon inquired. Mum pointed to the gold bag across the room, it was relatively normal, save for the foot imprint stretched into the side. 

"She used her boots to hold the kid sized clubs. We have to buy a new one for grandpa." Mum laughed she also finished her potatoes. 

They finished dinner; the whole family, and started to retire to bed. Hop and Leon were in the bathroom brushing their teeth. The story about Gloria still hung in his head. 

"So, do you like Gloria?" Leon said out of the blue. Hop frowned and shook his head, he spat out his toothpaste before setting down his toothbrush.

"Just because Gloria is a girl doesn't mean I like her!" He raised his arms defensively. Leon's toothbrush hung out of the side of his mouth. 

"Well, sleepovers? I can envision it already, the two of you getting married in Wyndon!" Leon teased, ruffling Hop's hair with his hand. He went back to brushing, Mr. Rose had said that he needed to keep a "champion smile."

"Ew! No Lee! What about you and Sonia?" Hop laughed Leon shook his head. 

"In your words 'ew!' We can call it even for now, how about that Hopscotch?" Leon asked as he took the toothbrush out of his mouth. 

"Haha! Okay!" Hop giggled before running out of the room. 

"Kiddo, you better come back. That was barely brushing your teeth!" Leon went after him. 


	2. Late Night Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon doesn't like calling late, but he does like meeting new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another chapter with Leon in it! My plan for who the chapters mainly feature (Besides Hop and Gloria) is:  
> Sonia  
> Bede  
> Leon + Raihan  
> Finally, a secret one 
> 
> If the chapter looks longer:  
> 1) it is  
> 2) I messed up the formatting, but it wasn't messed up enough for me to be worried over it.

Leon dragged his feet through his flat. Today has been another packed day, even if he was spared 

With duties of being champion, Leon is everywhere constantly. Whether that be at an exhibition match in Hammerlocke, a fan meet in Hullbury, or an interview in Motostoke, he rarely could catch a break. When he did, Leon did one of three things: trained with Raihan, drank several kettles of tea with Sonia, or video chat his favorite little brother.

Hop was 11 now, and was absolutely ecstatic after his mother let him catch a Wooloo so he and Gloria could stay safe when they went out to play. Leon could only imagine the two of them stirring up trouble, his mother poured over every detail of the troublesome duo. 

"Today, Hop and Gloria made a mess in the kitchen making curry."

"Today they let out all of the Wooloo in Postwick out of their corrals." 

"Pray that Hop doesn't ever get a fire type pokemon, that will just let the two of them set more things on fire." 

Everytime he called, Mum had at least one story around the two that he could giggle over. Leon was barely 18, and already had his own flat. Imagine signing a lease at 16. Most nights in the jaw droppingly beautiful (but equally expensive) flat were (depressingly) lonely. Most nights, Leon got home too late to call anyone. 

Tonight, an interview was cancelled, which only means one thing. 

The Postwick home was sleepy until the phone rang. When it did, Hop was already rushing down the stairs and grabbing for the phone. The home had recently transitioned into central heating, and the floors were cold and hard. As young Hop ran across the floor, without socks even, one could hear the 'thwap' of his feet on the cold floor. The 11 year old managed to outspeed his harried Mum, and snatched the phone. He excitedly accepted the facetime, beaming up into the phone as he did. Hop made sure to position the phone nice and high up so his mum can stay in view. As the lights turned on, and spirits rose, nothing seemed to be all that cold anymore. 

"Hey Hopscotch! Answering the phone this time, what a little man you are becoming!" Leon held his phone up in portrait mode, making sure to keep his own face in view. He could see Hop's Wooloo down by his feet.

Hop knitted his eyebrows, his face darkening as Leon laughed at his own comment. "You know, you don't have to call me little man anymore? I have my first pokemon!" The Wooloo mewled happily, jumping a little bit. 

"That you have, but you still have to wait three more years to get a proper a starter pokemon. I was fourteen when I got my Charmander," Leon flashed Hop his own champion smile, despite his exhaustion, it was bright and lively. 

"I can't wait, but until then, Gloria and I will keep studying so we know everything we need to know when we start our gym challenge together!" Hop said. His shaggy hair swaying side to side as he spoke. Leon slyly smiled, Hop noticed and shook his head. "Don't you say anything cheeky, Lee!" 

Leon didn't have time to, because their mum chimed in. 

"Oh, you and that girl. You know, she's got quite the spirit, and I wouldn't mind having a daughter-in-law. I know your brother Lee gets too lost to ever get married." She laughed as well as Hop, who was shaking off the in-law comment to laugh at their mother's more scathing comment. 

Leon pouted "Mum!" He groaned "I'm fine with directions! I'm already knackered by Sonia and Raihan's criticisms over my perfectly fine directional skills, why should I have to call home for you to do the same?" Leon sulked, he nearly dropped his phone in a dramatic show of betrayal. 

"I'm just saying, if you can't find your way to the pokemon food isle of a Tesco, how can you find a way to a lovely lady?" Mum asked, Leon tried his best now to visibly cringe, the muscles in his mouth fighting against the urge to grimace. 

"Then it's a good thing Hop fancies Gloria so much," Leon teased Hop. Hop cringed, and stuck his tongue out. 

"Lee! I don't fancy Gloria, she's my best friend!" Hop sputtered stubbornly, his expression still sour. Wooloo sleepily bleated and withdrew his legs into the wool of it body. Wooloo gently tackled into Hop's leg. Leon could hear the sound of a front door opening.

"Oh looks like we have a visitor," Mum said, surprise in her voice. She ducked her head over from the living room and smiled.

"Speak of the devil, good evening Gloria!" He waved at the girl as she entered. Wooloo happily rolled over to her feet, crashing into her ankles. 

"Gloria!" Hop smiled wide, his eyes have a new sparkle. It was almost like a pokemon seeing their trainer for the first time in a long time. Leon could see it on his face, Gloria had rented out more space in his head than the other kids at his school, so when will that space start to overtake his own. Leon couldn't help but frown, he didn't want to think about when Hop would grow up and into not caring about his brother anymore. Leon snapped out of it when he heard the girl speak.

"Hello Hop, good evening. Do you lot have-" she yawned midsentence "a bit of rice?" Gloria continued, a hand still to her mouth. Her Galarian accent was thick, and her voice was high pitched. She was Hop's age after all. 

Mum nodded "Yes, we do have some, but you have to tell us why you're here at near 10 o'clock to ask for rice," she laughed and gestured to Hop. "Hop dearie, why don't you introduce Gloria to your brother. I don't think they've met, and it will take some time for me to remember where that damn rice went!" Hop nodded vigorously and waved his hand to Gloria, signaling to come over. 

"C'mon over here Gloria, Lee has heard a lot about you. You know Mum, always telling stories," Hop rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. Gloria walked over, and leaned on Hop to get in camera view. She rested her forearm on his left shoulder and leaned forward. Gloria waved. 

"Nice to meet you Mr. Leon!" She cheered, Hop huffed and crossed his arms.

"Where's that welcoming attitude when you greet me?" Hop asked, Gloria stuck her tongue out and made a little "pffbbt" sound.

"He's the champion, you're my best friend, I don't need to treat you like the chairman!" Gloria responded, lightly punching Hop with her free arm. Hop rolled his eyes.

"Lovely to meet you Gloria," Leon laughed "you can call me Leon, or Lee if you want to. Any friend of my brother's is a friend of mine!" He continued.

"Lee," Hop groaned, "don't pull that load of bollocks! You can just call him Leon, he always goes out and does this, actin' all friendly, makin' people all uncomfortable," Hop laughed nervously. Gloria put her arm down and raised an eyebrow. 

"I thought it was quite welcoming, thank you Leon," She turned to Hop "you can't tell me if I'm uncomfortable or not. You're not a Haterene." She said scornfully. Leon couldn't help but smile at the two. They bickered, but there was a sense of trust between them. They reminded Leon of himself and Sonia when they travelled together, but something was just a little different. 

"Hop! Help me out with this rice!" Mum yelled from the kitchen, and Hop instantly raced off to help her. Mid-dash, he haphazardly threw the phone into Gloria's hands. 

As Hop approached his mother, he noticed that there wasn't any big bags of rice; just a Tupperware filled with long grained rice. Hop's mother put a steady hand on his shoulder. 

"Hop dearie, you're starting to get to that age where you start liking girls-" Hop interrupted her.

"Mum-" he stage whispered "I know this, why are you telling me this now?" She chuckled, and handed the Tupperware to him. 

"Hop, don't interrupt me," She said sternly. "You are a growing boy, and it's perfectly fine for you to have a crush on Gloria. I, personally, think she's a lovely girl!" She clasped her hands together and gave her son a sweet kiss on the cheek. "It's a part of growing up, you can have a crush on her, love." 

"But I don't! Gloria is my best friend! You can marry your best friend!" Hop insisted. His mother on the other hand, shook her head. 

"That's what Leon said about Sonia, and it's been four bloody years! I want to see one of you get married," Mum said dejectedly. "There's no helping it, just bring out the rice for Gloria." 

Hop brought out the rice for Gloria, who had happily taken it after a thorough talking to with Leon. She said thank you to Hop's mum, waved goodbye to Leon, and closed the door behind her. The rest of the call was mostly on his mother's part. Questions about how he's eating, and his latest challengers. 

The call was over soon, Hop's mum ushered him to bed, and the house was cold and quiet again. 

That night, Hop snuck his phone out and looked up 'can you marry your best friend??'

He didn't like the answers he found, because he's always known that you need to be in love to marry someone. He knew that Gloria wasn't in love with him. 


	3. Little Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia explains a basic concept to Hop: he understands, but just chose not to pay attention.  
> This is spaced weird because my dyslexic ass broke her glasses. Sorry pals!

He chose Scorbunny; much to everyone's dismay. Anyone who knows Hop would know that it would be a matter of minutes before he set the woods on fire. Gloria had chosen Sobble, so it was possible for someone to put out Hop's fires. 

"Just like Lee!" Hop had said, gingerly picking up Scorbunny. He ignored how the rabbit burned the palms of his hands, and just smiled. 

Gloria, on the other hand, carefully cradled Sobble in her arms. Not a soul had seen her care for something so gently before.

It was nice for Hop to be on the road. No mother to pester him, nobody picking on him, but at the same time; no Gloria. He was no longer seeing her everyday, and it didn't bother him at first. 

Between Motostoke and Hulbury, Hop only saw Gloria once, but it was at Tuffield when the lack of presence started to get to him. 

"I don't need to see her all the time!" He assured himself, "I'm fourteen, so I can handle myself." He proclaimed, as he brushed out any semblance of loneliness. He had Wooloo and Scorbunny, so he could go right on and manage. 

Even if he told himself that he was doing a-okay, there were little things he started to do. 

"This-" he pointed to a picture of him and Gloria on his Rotom-Phone, "Is me, and this-" he continued, pointing to Gloria, "Is my best friend Gloria!" Scorbunny looked Hop up and down and raised an inquisitive eyebrow, holding one of his paws up to his 'chin'. 

"Now, she's our rival, mate! So you and Wooloo will be fighting her, Sobble, and her Wooloo often." Hop threw his Rotom-Phone into his tent. Scorbunny nodded, snickered, and ran off to play with Wooloo. 

"I guess he got it?" He stood up from kneeling and dusted himself off. To the untrained eye, the camp is pathetic. Looking upon it, one would see two pokemon, an old curry pot, and a poke toy with a scorched feather. To Hop, it was a loving setting, the curry smelled nice, and joy was permeated through the air. 

" _ Man, I wish Gloria was here,"  _ He thought, looking proudly at his camp. 

These constant thoughts about Gloria nearly tortured him. He felt like a Corviknight picking up shiny things to impress a mate. Occasionally, he’d have to stop half way through his thoughts and think “Am I a person or a pokemon?” Because giving Gloria a bag or berries sounds like something a pokemon would do, but buying a few extra potions for her because he’s her rival and couldn’t dream of her and Sobble getting hurt; is something a person would do. 

Sonia was the first to catch it. 

After one of their battles, Sonia decided to take Hop to the side; asking Gloria to head off to the Galar Mines No. 2 without them. 

"Hop, what are you doing?" Sonia asked, hands on her hips. Hop leaned his head over in a sharp movement, holding a sack of of assorted curry supplies in his hand. He piped up at the mentioning of his name, much like his Raboot would. 

"What do you think I'm doing? Being a good friend of course!" Hop turned around fully, a cheerful smile set on his face. Sonia shakes her head and snatches up the bag, the first reaction in order being the sheer weight of this potato sack. She opens it and snorts. 

"Hop, you can give your rival supplies, but this is a crazy amount of food." Sonia sighed, taking out individual cans of coconut milk. "We have, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6! 6 cans of coconut milk in here. That's about a solid 7 kilos added to her bag, and that poor rucksack is large enough already." She counts off more food as she finds them. She hands Hop the bag back, wondering how the boy can carry it around so easily. " _ Growing boy,"  _ she thought to herself. 

"What do you mean, mate? 6 cans was barely enough, that's why I put the food-tins, the instant noodles and the berries!" Hop exclaimed- which, frankly, only made Sonia more amused. 

"Hop- Gloria is a growing girl, but she's not gigantamaximg! It might freak her out if you keep giving her these bloody strange gifts!" Sonia said harshly, Hop frowned and tried to come up with the words he needed to excuse himself. Alas, nothing came out of his mouth. 

"I- uh! They're not gifts!" Hop shook his head, Sonia did the same nearly in tandem. 

"Look- Hop, when my girlfriend-" Hop interrupted Sonia- knowing all too well where this conversation is going after five years of friends and family having to pull him aside, asking if his best friend was anything more. 

"No, no, no. We are not having his conversation right now!" Hop set down the bag and put a hand over his forehead. "I've gone over this with Lee, and my mom, and most of my schoolmates; I don't like-like Gloria!" It hurt Sonia to hear a 14 year old boy say 'like-like' as if he was a toddler, but man- was it adorable. 

"Hop, this is my turn to tell a story," she said sharply. Hop instantly shut up, his face still red.

"When Nessa first started to talk to me, she would always bring me seafood from my favorite restaurant in Hulbury. She would walk it to me from her home here and to the lab in Wedgehurst." Sonia explained, Hop was not too keen on listening, but hunkered down. He'd never heard Sonia talk about Nessa in such detail before. 

"That's a long way, she must be a good rival!" Hop smiled, Sonia did not. She sighed, the disappointment was not latent, it was right there and ever present. 

"After about a month of bringing me thousands of poke dollars worth of seafood every few days, she asked me out. I didn't do so myself because I was afraid it would taint our friendship, no matter how sick I got of eating crustaceans, no matter how attractive and kind I thought she was." Sonia pat Hop on the shoulder, and took the heavy bag out of his hands. 

"You can choose 4 items out of his bag to give to her," Sonia continued "the others, I will pay you back for, because I assure you that Gloria only has patience for that Drizzle of hers. She  _ will _ get sick of the seafood." Hop jumped at the bag and took a few berries and a can of coconut milk. 

"Thank you for the advice Ms. Sonia, but I don't like Gloria!" Hop darted off after Gloria into the Galar Mine no. 2 with a hurried wave. Sonia held an arm forward in an attempt to stop him. 

"Then why did you leave me with all this junk!" Sonia screamed after him. She buried her face in her hands. 

"Why is Leon's brother a cracked-out Rookidee?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Corviknight line is based off the bird family of Corvids  
> Some Corvids are: chickadees, blue jays, and crows. 
> 
> Magpies; which are in the corvidae family, are known to collect shiny things to add to their nest and to attract mates. 
> 
> Lyrebirds do the same thing, but those don't exist right now. 
> 
> I was so sad that there were no magpie pokemon to compare Hop to, so I said "fuck it, Corviknight line" 
> 
> Thank you for my bird TedTalk attached to my Ao3 fanfiction.


	4. Beastly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bede snaps at Hop

The gym path was going great. 

While Gloria was plowing through the gyms, Hop followed as he always did. He stopped giving large amounts of strange gifts to her for “rival purposes” and instead lent a hand whenever necessary. They felt like true rivals; adversaries who would never cast doubt upon each other. 

That was before he was in the picture.

Imagine if someone slew a Wooloo, took only it’s whole pelt- not even bothering to shear it, and then pinned it onto a little grumpy Glameow. 

That was how Hop envisioned Bede. They had met once, and the only takeaway was that he was a flash bastard who was jealous of Gloria. She absolutely plowed through him, like she always did with Hop himself. 

Maybe now wasn’t the best time for Hop to be thinking about Gloria plowing him and Bede. 

They had both received their first three badges; quite the feat for two small-town kids, and the pair laughed as they waltzed through Motostoke. 

“Ay, don’t be a dumbass Hop! What if ball guy can still ‘ear us!” She erupted in laughter as Hop held a warm friend ball in his left hand. 

“Ah! Not ball guy! Ugh I have no clue where the friend ball came from! What if ball guy is a nonce?” Hop cried in dismay. Gloria laughed and snatched up the ball from his hand- their fingertips briefly brushing. She immediately throws it back into his face. 

“Ew! It’s  _ warm!  _ Why didn’t yea’ tell me!” Gloria stuck her tongue out and wiped her hands on her skirt. The childish interactions curtailed into boisterous laughter from the pair, only entertained by each other. Gloria wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. They didn't bother to listen to the footsteps behind them.

"It's pathetic really," Bede approached Gloria from behind, barely paying mind to anyone around. "You two have been endorsed by the champion- yet act like a couple of children." 

"Aye, if anyone is actin' like a child- it's the person butting into a conversation they're not welcome in," She spat, crossing her arms. Bede's eye twitched in annoyance. "Look if you don't like us, just stay away from us." 

"Of course you don't understand, simple girl-" Bede was interrupted.

"Girl? You're my age?" 

Bede rolled his eyes,"I need to defeat the both of you, so I might as well have a head start." He shooed Gloria away with a lazy flick of the wrist and nodded upward towards Hop. "I am yet to battle you, so it think it's fair to see you battle in all my glory." 

Gloria held her mouth shut, trying to hold in laughter. " _ Is this guy real? _ " Hop mouthed to her.

" _ I don't know, try sticking a hand through it."  _ You see, over the years reading each others lips became a secret language of their own, a little game they both played to see who would mess up translating the other first. This came to a point where they would stitch random words together in various languages to win. They became experts in understanding each other. 

Gloria mouthed this back, and almost immediately; Hop walked over to Bede and quizzically eyed his left arm. Then promptly thrusted a pointed hand into the meat of his bicep. A surprised yelp bubbled out of Bede's throat, and Gloria exploded into snarled, Lycanrock-like laughter, an ugly laughter that tore its way through Hop and Bede's heads. 

Hop shortly followed, nearly collapsing onto the ground as giggles tickled his stomach. 

"How  dare you touch me! That settles it, we are having a battle to prove that I'm superior to you!." Bede boasted, Hop responded well, reaching for his newly evolved Dubwool's pokeball.

"Wow a battle? At least take me out to dinner first, or pay mind to my name," Hop laughed and rubbed the back of his neck in feigned embarrassment. 

"I know that you're challenger Hop, and I know I'm going to win. So, stop biding for time and battle me already." Bede snapped impatiently. 

"Then let's have at it mate! I'll meet you in Hammerlocke Gloria, go on ahead and explore!" Hop gave Gloria a thumbs up and Gloria sent one back.

"Affirmative Hip Hop, meet you there, and then we're due for a battle!" She ran off into the wild area, her Axew romping along, hot on her tail. Bede very quickly sent out Haterem, tossing the hat pokemon's pokeball up and down in his hand.

"So, are you ready to see true greatness?" Bede asked as he stepped back, Hop let out an amused snort. 

"Only if you can see it matched and doubled! I'm home bound to become the next champion!" Hop stepped back as well. 

"Confusion!"

"Take Down!" 

The pointed and yelled in unison, Dubwool charged straight at the little pink pokemon, but was stopped by a small but strong psychic wave. Swept back, Dubwool remained persistent.

"Follow that up with a headbutt!" Dubwool reared back and took a head first charge into Hattrem- which sent it flying. Hop smiled and pumped his fist, but then noticed that Bede was still composed.

"Just like we practiced, use Disarming Voice!" Hattrem let out a shrill, off pitch squeal that sent a force towards Dubwool, sending him backwards. With little energy left, Dubwool gets up. His legs are unsteady, but he continues to try his best to evade Hattrem's attacks. 

"Okay, Dubwool go out with a bang with another take down!" Dubwool shoots on ahead, straight into Hattrem. As the pokemon's horns made contact, Hattrem send out a small wave of psychic energy, hurting Dubwool as she was propelled back by his attack. Dubwool fainted, but Hattrem was barely standing.

The rest of the battle was not nearly as even. With his partner fainted, it's only natural that he would send out his ace next. Raboot might have been sulking that day, but he was excited to get out of the ball. 

Raboot went down quickly. 

So did Corvisquire. 

Hop watched in horror as the Ponyta used a ray of bright light to force his Corvisquire onto the floor with a feeble 'caw'. The bird retreated back into his ball. He lost. His upper lip threatened to quiver and shake, Hop stood there, his face red with defeat, and Bede laughed. He could barely believe it, but the bastard laughed. Fishing through his pockets, Hop took out 1,000 poke dollars as winning money. Bede sauntered over, the same boastful glint in his eyes.

"You're below that girl you know," Bede purred, taking the money in his hands. "She shares two pokemon with you, but manages to win every time." He smirked, feeling the coinage in his hands. "You say that you're going to be champion, but can a good champion let himself be sullied by such a brazen, stupid, girl?" Bede chuckled and stuffed the money into his pockets, his shoulders set back. Hop immediately went on the attack, an angry finger pointed towards Bede. 

"Gloria is my rival, and she is far above you! You have no right to call her st-" Hop was silenced by a wave of the hand. Bede trudged over with much vigor and took Hop's wrist in his hand. Hop attempted to tear his arm away, but Bede's grip remained persistent. 

"Listen here," Bede spat, digging Hop's wrist further into the middle of his own chest. "You run around claiming to be able to take the mantle of champion, meanwhile all it takes to get you barking like a Yamper is a pretty girl batting her eyelashes at you. Those doe eyes command not only beasts, but dragons, and you follow their every beck and call." 

"I-" Hop tried to speak, but was silenced with a harsh push. 

"You strive to be champion, start by cleaning up your act. Your brother would be ashamed." Without another word, without letting Hop get anything in, without a second thought, Bede turned around and marched off. 

Hop was alone, and couldn't help but ask himself. 

" _ Am I too dependent on Gloria?" _

His walk to Hammerlocke was met with tremendous trepidation, but also deep thought. 

_ "The only way to make my brother proud is to get serious."  _ He affirmed to himself. 

Hop knew that getting serious also meant something much, much, harder than putting on a straight face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My HC Team for Gloria is   
> Inteleon  
> Dubwool  
> Corviknight  
> Haxorus  
> Obstagoon  
> (Box legendary) 
> 
> Boring as it is, it makes sense personality wise.


	5. The Puppy Episode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At least they didnt ask Hop that same stupid question

The audience sang. The chant roared through the air as Cinderace fell to the floor in a blaze of fire and fury, but the rain seemed to douse it. The water fading into scorching steam as they meet. Rain from Inteleon's final damming attack fell onto the battlefield leaving a circle of flame scorched onto the hard ground. Gloria smiled, she cheered with her beloved Inteleon, and the lithe lizard pulled her in for a tearful, but excited hug. The cheers of the crowd couldn't muffle their joy, but the frustrated knitted brow of her friend- her true rival broke through the limelight. 

"Well, I guess you were always better than me. What a crummy rival…" Hop said dejectedly. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. Gloria looks over Inteleon's shoulder to see Hop inhale deeply. She pushed Inteleon away, and took a running dash at Hop. She blindly jumped into a vice grip of a hug, the bright lights in her eyes as she found that she herself was near sobbing. 

"Hop, you son of a bitch!" She cried, burying her face into his neck. Hop could feel her cold nose and warm cheeks on his neck. He himself could feel his cheeks warming up along with her. Hop shook off his surprise, and wrapped his arms around her. "You're the best rival I could ever ask for, and if you ever think that you aren't a life saver I will battle you until you know it!" She continued to hold onto him like a Komala, shaking from the pure adrenaline of the battle.

"But, I-" Hop tried to pull back, but Gloria beat him to it. She placed her hands on his shoulders and repositioned herself to face Hop directly. 

"No buts! You are my rival and above that, my best friend!" Gloria smiled, tears very much streaming down the sides of her cheeks. She's flushed red from exhaustion, but she was smiling wide and trying to make him feel better. Hop smiled back, and despite the loss, everything felt better than before. 

Meanwhile, Leon watched the TV from the locker rooms. He too grinned from ear to ear as he watched his brother grow up. Raihan sat next to him, picking bits of sand out of his hair. Raihan turned to him and raised an eyebrow. 

"Aren't you sad you brother didn't make it?" Raihan asked, a tweezer in his hair, pulling out sand from his previous battle. Leon shook his head.

"I always knew that Gloria would end up surpassing him," Leon laughed. Raihan gagged on nothing. 

"Ack- isn't that a little harsh to your brother?" Raihan asked. Leon rubbed the back of his head, and picked up an adjacent water bottle. 

"It's just my expectation isn't it?" Leon's hand fell to the bench. Raihan put his hand over Leon's, no other words, no other complaints. 

"Well, you have to fight that kid now, and trust me she's a bit of a nutter. Her Haxorus tore my team a new one along with that starter of hers." Raihan cautiously looked behind him, checking for any unexpected visitors. 

"There's no telling with these new kids." Leon drifted off. Raihan shifts to face him better, and takes his hand between two of his own. 

"Depending on how this goes along, maybe we can…" Raihan pressed a sweet kiss to the back of Leon's hand and looked up at him. "Maybe we can finally be out?" 

"The match is tomorrow, but don't get your hopes up. I am undefeated..." Leon replied. "But I promise you, soon." He shook Raihan's hand away. 

And with that, Leon left to the pitch to close off the night. 

So imagine Raihan's horror the next day, when the news was only reporting on the possibility of his boyfriend's demise. The fire burning in the furnace of his stomach as he paced through fits of screaming and holding back tears on a furrowed brow. It was only natural for him to start sifting through his phone for any proof, any proof to the world that he and Leon were anything more than rivals. He dug through files upon files, and nothing. Not a word, not a photo, not a single video to prove to the great consuming void watching that they were there together and oh-so-very in love. So, he started making calls to his friends and whatever family he can muster; to announce to them that they will never be forgotten. 

Then imagine the sigh of relief when he turned out fine, albeit very tired the next day. 

Or the confusing, gutted feeling of loss and the palpitations of the heart- tachycardia that accompanied freedom at last. The chairman was gone, the champion was gone. God, what a way to go out. 

They decided to card the announcement until later, just so they had time to tell their families first. After the Dynamax incidents, and after the Sword and Shield brothers were apprehended, Leon finally had the chance to ask to have dinner with his family. 

"Are you sure about this?" Raihan asked, his shoulders held tight. His tall frame was dressed in a nice outfit; a blazer, dress pants, and simple button down. Leon dressed similarly, a maroon jacket paired with a creme dress shirt and suspenders. They definitely dressed for the occasion. 

His mother had been confused when Leon had called for family dinner. 

"Oh you're so busy with Macro Cosmos," she had said. "Why- we can have dinner when this all settled?" 

And then they didn't. 

So, it was only natural that Leon decided that he would clear all his meetings for a day and finally sit down with his family. 

And Raihan.

So, he knocked on the door. His buckles rapped on the hardwood, and he could hear someone fumbling with the lock. The door creaked open slowly, and in a flash; Hop ran for a hug. 

"Leon! You bastard, we've been waiting! What's Raihan here for?" Hop smiled. Leon ruffled his brother's hair in his hand.

"Language Hopscotch!" Hop bounded back inside, Leon and Raihan ducked inside, "And Raihan and I need to make a-" Leon stopped.

"Hey Hopster?" Raihan asked. Hop looked back at them. 

"Yeah?" He asked.

"What's that?" Raihan pointed to the sleeping Pokemon on the couch. A large sword hung lazily out of its mouth, it scraped the hardwood floors as the pokemon snored. 

"That's Stabs," He responded, Leon raised an eyebrow

"You named him, an ancient, divine protector of the entire Galar region, Stabs?" Leon asked, Hop shook his head. The door opened again, this time a Haxorus peeked into the house, its axe-like protrusions left little marks in the door frame. No big deal, because there were already marks from the mighty beast entering, they're just getting deeper and deeper. 

"Hey Hop, your mum said the grill is ready!" Gloria chirped, stroking her Haxorus' tail.

"Gloria named  _ her _ Stabs!" Hop said, he ducked into the kitchen and snatched up a plate of Slowpoke tails, and then rushed out of the door. He was followed by Gloria and Haxorus. 

"I thought you said family dinner only, babe?" Raihan kept his eyes on Stabs as he spoke. 

"I did, but mum thinks of Gloria as a third child. I didn't think about it. I can talk to her about it." Leon drifted off, heading out to fetch Gloria. 

The second Leon left, Stabs yawned wide and stretched her legs out. Her eyes fluttered open, and she dropped the sword onto the ground. 

"'Ello big dog," Raihan waved. Stabs growled, getting up from the couch. Raihan stepped back, his hands held up, palms out. "I'm friendly, you want to play?" Raihan scanned the room as the dog glared him down. Stabs approached him, focus sharp. She growled, and stretched out fully, yawning. With much pride, Stabs raised her head and sniffed the air. She looked out the window at Leon, then at Raihan, then at Leon, and back to Raihan. She growled at Raihan again, barked and then walked off, romping up the stairs. 

"What the fuck?" Raihan whispered to himself.

* * *

  
  


Hop, Gloria, and Leon stood at the barbecue, Hop making sure their dinner didn't burn as Gloria and Leon conversed. Hop distracted himself with Cinderace, giving Leon the perfect opportunity to take her aside.

"Gloria, you're like family to me, but I have something really important to ask," Leon grabbed her by the shoulders as they stopped by the other side of the house.

"What? You want me to ask mah' to kick Raihan out? Or are you going to give me a talk about Hop?" Gloria asked, she rolled her eyes but smiled. Leon shook his head. 

"No, I have to announce something very personal to me, and I think it's a family matter." Leon said solemnly. Gloria tried to shrug out of Leon's grip, but he didn't relent. So, she snapped back. 

"If I'm like family, I should be allowed to stay for now." Gloria sneered, she didn't hesitate, didn't back down. "If you're mad about me taking over your champion position, don't be petty and attempt to push me away from me' family, Hop deserves better." She finally snapped away from Leon's grip, and walked off. 

"Oh crumbs…" as Leon watched her walk away, Gloria shot him a glare. 

"Lee, Hop, Gloria! Dinner!" Mum called out, and soon everyone poured into the house, one by one. 

The dinner scene never changed, even with the two extra chairs. Food is passed over the table, hearty portions of vegetables and rice sat in the middle of the table on a lazy Susan. As warm and filled with joy as ever. Gloria sat next to Hop, facing Leon directly across the table, she paid him no mind. Amazing, how she could just do that. How she was able to prioritize certain emotions. Kind of like a lazy Susan but with feelings, when she needs to be a certain way, she simply rotates whatever else she is feeling to the other side. Leon saw a little bit of himself in her, maybe because she filled in as a replacement sibling while he was champion, and possibly because she also took his job when the time came. 

Leon remembered his battle with her, her cold unfeeling eyes as she fought it out. Leaning too far into the battle, closer to her partner, pushing her own safety to the other side of the lazy Susan. He should've been more like that. Not withdrawn, not filled with a silent anger, no. In that moment, the only feeling he should've had was love, love for his partner. Leon's eyes darted to Raihan, then to Hop, and to the small circular tray spinning around on the table. He took a breath and spun his fears to the other side. Leon stood up. 

"Lee? Now?" Raihan asked in quiet assurance. Leon nodded.

Leon cleared his throat. "Ahem, attention everyone!" The room fell silent. "Thank you all for being here tonight." He shot Raihan a nervous glare, and he too stood up from his chair. 

"Wooo! Speech!" Hop cheered. 

"Three months ago, a catastrophic accident nearly cost me my life, and pushed back the league championship. That was the last day I had as champion, so Chairman Rose, thank you for the borrowed time." A few giggles kicked up before he started again. "That day, I learned a lot about bravery. I learned that bravery is not about protecting huddled masses, nor is it about someone's own personal journey, it is about making a stand for the people that I love. I was not brave that day. I almost left this world without thinking about the ones I love. While I was risking my life for Hop and Gloria, I did not think of Mum at home, and more importantly I did not think about someone I loved who I had wronged the most. The spotlight as champion was filled with warmth, but also impaired my ability to see. I was not able to see the people I loved so much. Hop, I should have been around more. Mum, I never called. Gloria, I made you play family in my absence. Raihan, I took you for granted." 

"Lee?" Hop muttered, looking up into his eyes above him, stood tall, towering over. 

"I'm gay, and I think it's time I can finally be in the spotlight with the man I love." Raihan grabbed Leon by the hand and gave it a squeeze and a gentle kiss, this time, Leon did not pull his hand away. 

Pandemonium is the best word to describe what happened next. Hop practically jumped over the table to give Leon a hug, slobbering all over him. Mum gave Leon a kiss on the cheek and told Leon "I knew one of you boys would get married soon, I expect a ring on that finger by the end of the year, mister!" 

Hell, even grandma and grandpa gave Raihan and Leon their congratulations. 

It was Raihan who caught Gloria sneaking out. Beyond the door, and in the garden, Raihan caught her climbing over the fence, being careful not to open the creaky gate that shook up all the fencing when opened. 

"Where are yuh' headin' to young champ?" Raihan asked curtly, hands in his jacket pockets. 

"I was entrudin'," she sighed "thought it would be wise to leave before I made a foo' of myself." Gloria laughed. 

"Eh, his Mum seems to think of you family enough." Raihan shrugged and stepped closer. "Yuh' know it's easier conversatin' when you're not on a fence." He smirked. Gloria threw herself over the other side. 

"Well I'm off now arent I," she spat "You want to let me leave without takin' up more of the limelight ye' draft himbo?" Raihan laughed. 

"What? Angry because were gay?" Raihan asked, shooting her look, one eyebrow raised high on his forehead. 

"No, no, Bede is bisexual and he's my closest friend. Look," Gloria huffed, "I'm just angry that I got all pissed at Leon for askin' me to leave, I thought he was bein' all huffy about me taking his place as champion. I made it all about me, hence- I'm leaving." Raihan walked up to the gate, and opened it. A terrible screeching sound ringing through the still air. Stabs peeked out the window. 

"I thought Hopster is your best friend?" Raihan asked. 

"No, Hop is a little more than that." Gloria closed the gate, and left without another word. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was named after the episode of the american sitcom "Ellen" where the main character comes out as gay. Orginally the producers of the show said to "just give her a puppy" when asked about her sexuality:  
> Hence: puppy episode
> 
> Sorry this took so long to do, I want to finish this very soon. Stay safe, social distance, stay healthy.


End file.
